The rumours were a dead end. After almost a week long voyage from Choishya, the Sundance Crew arrived in Beghonia with the hope of finding the origin of the rumours. Their two day search involved everything from stalking around the dock for information to helping farmers out for a day for information.

“If ya ain’t gonna pay, then get outta ma place!” The one eyed owner of the store the crew was loitering around in shouted.

“Sorry sir.”

“Well that was fun.” Baise said. He had his hands head as he looked up at the sky. “Let’s try again later.”

“Where are we going tomorrow Cap? You already said it was a dead end but we’re still searching? I don’t think I can work on a farm any longer. I belong at sea not on land.” The youngest complained falling onto the ground prepared to throw a tantrum.

“Get up Maes.”

“Yes Lane.” Thomas ended his tantrum before it could even start.

“Julius, prepare dinner. Morgan and Kiyiya stay on board and keep watch. The rest of us will go and search for some jobs.” Elena dismissed the group and placed Victorian under Yuto’s care to avoid another Duchess of Viridian incident.

Figuring that no one would actually be able to focus and find a job, Elena grabbed the unfortunate captain whose plans of enjoying his time at a tavern were ruined. Yuto and Victorian decided to go shop around while the others ran off before Elena could grab them too.

“Tori-sama, do you know what you would like to purchase?”

“Nope. You?”

“I am in the need of a new kimono,” he explained, showing how his current one was falling apart at the hem after all those battles.

“Lead the way.”

Victorian helped Yuto pick out a new dark green kimono after a few hours and were one of the last to return to the ship. The crew expect for Alzono who was at the tavern and L’Roux whose presence as usual was forgotten about.

“Should we go find Zono?” Maes pipped in between bites of food.

“Leave him.”

“Elena, can we find him?” Baise asked.

“Not until I finish my meal and no one is allowed to bring money to pay off his tab.” Elena then proceeded to slowly eat the remainder of her meal.

Elena did finish her meal, albeit it did take two hours of waiting, and the she allowed for three people off of the ship to find him. After much pleading, Victorian was allowed to help.

“Make sure you don’t bump into anybody,” Elena said as she helped Victorian hide her hair. “If you find Alzono but you can’t get him out go find someone else to help.”

“If I can’t get him out?”

“Just find someone else when you find him. Don’t attract too much attention to yourself.”

Elena adjusted Victorian’s hood and gave her a gentle push out of the door. The other three had already left the ship to search for the missing member. Victorian headed towards the taverns along the dock.

Victorian left the first tavern as fast as she peaked into it. The next few taverns had the same scenes and with no Alonzo.

“You can do this,” Victorian told herself repeatedly. She took a deep breath and continued her search.

“Money issues kid? I’m taking eyes, fingers, toes, inner organs, hair?” A heckler shouted.

It only took a few more taverns before she found Alzono, just slightly different. The difference being his eye was black, his lip was bleeding, and there was a woman who continued to beat him while he was in fetal position.

“ALZONO!” Victorian ran to the beaten up man. The woman stopped to clean her knuckles which gave Victorian a chance to check up her crewmate.

“Senorita. Is Alzono late?” He asked in between coughs not forgetting to throw in a smile.

“Lane’s going to kill you or she, he, not that’s a she, is.” Victorian examined his face.

“Hey girlie,” the lady who was beating Alzono returned, “either pay or move it.”

“What did you do Alzono?” Victorian looked at the half conscious man in her arms.

“He couldn’t pay his tab. Three thousand fiore.”

“How much did you drink?”

“Alzono loves to impress the beautiful ladies,” he said while pushing back a red strand that fell out.

“You got conned? Are you supposed to be the person who cons?”

“Alzono can’t say no to a lady.”

“The same reason why you won’t defend yourself?”

“Alzono refuses to attack a woman, beautiful or not.” He winched at the pain in his eye.

“Here’s three hundred fiore.” Victorian handed over her share of the previous commission. “I’ll get you the rest within the hour. Do we have a deal?”

“Senorita it’s alright. Alzono will be fine after a few more beatings.”

“You’re forgetting about Lane’s beatings.” Victorian turned towards the owner who had returned from icing her fist, “I’ll pay his tab. Just give me some time.”

“No time girlie.”

“Five minutes. I need five minutes.”

“Three.”

Victorian ran out of the door and back to where the heckler was. She grabbed the old woman by the write and into the tavern.

“Whaddera doin’ kid?”

“Red hair,” she explained, removing her hood, “how much is worth three thousand fiore?”

The heckler’s wrinkly hand felt a strand Victorian’s smooth. She brought the red hair to her face and gave it a good sniff. A wicked smile appeared on the heckler’s face and brought out a toothless smile, “How much are you willing to sell?”

“As much as possible.”

The heckler performed one last check and said, “Below the chin. I’ll give you three thousand for everything below the chin.”

Victorian grabbed the knife in her boot, something Elena had thought her for self defense, and brought it to her nape of her neck. She grabbed her hair into a ponytail and in one motion she cut all the hair off. She handed the bundle of hair to the heckler’s open palm and returned the knife to its original position.

“I’ll take three hundred, the rest goes to the lady there.” Victorian gestured to the owner with her chin. “Thanks. Let’s go Alzono. Either Lane will give you a beating or I will. Do you think Yuto can fix my hair?” Victorian picked at a piece of her roughly cut hair.

“Alzono thanks you with his life. Is there anything Alzono can do for you?”

“You guys accepted me and brought me along without knowing anything about me. I don’t think I’ve ever had short hair so this is nice change.”

Back on the ship, true to Victorian’s suspicious, Elena had Kiyiya be prepared on standby while she brought her sheathed sword down on Alzono, making him apologise and beg on his knees. While Victorian had forgiven him right away, it was Baise who didn’t.

“Look at what you made her do,” Baise said referring to Victorian’s hair. “Sure you love women but as a conman, shouldn’t you know when you’re being conned?”

“Alzono expresses his deepest apologies Captain. I shall do your chores for a month.”

“Make it two and you got a deal,” Baise said, breaking out into a smile. “Ow! Elena?”

Elena broke up the two’s lovefest and took over, “Baise you’re still doing your chores. Alzono, you’re going to take over Tori’s for the next two months. Julius, go fix her hair.”

Everyone, expect for Alzono who was put on night watch, left the ship deck. Julius who was as skilled with scissors as he was with a knife, fixed Victorian’s hair just as Baise came to check up on her.

“You’re all done Miss Tori. Mr. Captain, what brings you here? Avoiding your chores as usual?”

“Ha, ha, I finished mopping. I came to check up on her hair and remind you of our job. We’re setting sail to Ahnemone tomorrow, it’ll take two weeks and we can’t stop anywhere. So if you need anything get it by tomorrow morning.”

“Um.” Victorian pipped up.

“What is it Miss Tori?”

“I was wondering if I could, well, if someone could train me? Conning, stealing, sword fighting, or sharpshooting. It doesn’t really matter I’d like to get stronger.” Victorian clutched onto her stomach which was almost healed but even thinking back to the incident made the bruise ache.

Without a second to think, Baise said, “Of course. We’ll all help you, even L’Roux if you can find him. Now rest up, we’ll start training as soon as we set sail.”

On a navy ship off of the coast of Hibhisus, the Duke of Burgundy was enjoying his morning tea and paper. There were no leads on his future wife’s location and he tried his best to not let it get to him. As he took a bite of his biscuit, one of crew members on board approached at a fast pace.

“Pardon my entrance Duke,” he said still in a bow.

“You may rise,” he said taking another sip.

“There has been a rumour of red hair being sold in Beghonia last night.”

“Last night? News travels fast.”

“It’s not every day red hair gets sold sir. It was sold for a mere three thousand fiore. The person it was sold to was planning to sell it for ten times the price. Rumours are that it was sold for a man’s life.”

“Well, well, I can’t have my fiancée wasting her beauty on another man now can I?”

The Duke of Burgundy placed his cup of tea down and folded his paper. He handed the paper to the young man and stood up. Straightening his coat, the duke headed to the top of the stairs.

“Men, set sail for Beghonia.”